Season 3
July 3, 2023
89 – Season 3 Reflection!
Nat and Alex come together to answer the season 3 inquiry question, “How might we rehumanize education through story?” by reflecting on what they learned from conversations with guests. Show Notes: · Nat and...
June 26, 2023
88 – Decolonization Through Story (w Carolyn Roberts)
What is decolonization? How is story integral to it? How might we all become better at receiving and telling stories? Natalie joins Indigenous scholar, teacher and changemaker Carolyn Roberts to discuss circle work, deep listening, performative...
June 19, 2023
87 – Learning for All w/ Ceri Riley
This week on #Educrush, Writer, Producer and Science communicator Ceri Riley shares her experiences being an educator outside of the classroom, the challenges that she has faces and the importance of making sure that everyone has access to learning!...
June 12, 2023
86 – What if students took a stand against racism? (w Harsh, Victoria, Chris & Katie)
Who is the greatest lever for change in our education system? Teachers? Parents? Students? In this episode, Natalie connects with three former students and their mentor teacher from Prince George, Canada, to explore how students can become visionary...
June 5, 2023
85 – Word and Story w/ Wakefield Brewster
Description: This week on #Educrush we hear from Calgary’s Current and the first ever Black Poet Laureate of the city, Wakefield Brewster as he shares with us the importance of story and poetry and education. Wakefield on Twitter Wakefield on...
May 29, 2023
84 – Building Community by Telling the Story of Us (w Melody McAllister)
What is community? How do we build it, and break it? Who are we as a wider education community? Natalie connects with former teacher and current community engagement strategist, Melody McAllister, to unpack the complexities of both youth and adult...
May 22, 2023
83 - Pursuing Passions w/ Nick Hughes
Description: This week Alex talks to Multimedia Specialist and Search and Rescue volunteer Nick Hughes. He share how his experiences with high school influenced his passions today. What does it look like for teachers to nurture the interests and...
May 15, 2023
82 – #EESummit23 Debrief (w Katie White & Tom Schimmer)
Fresh off the first-ever Empowerment Ecosystem Summit in Vancouver, BC, Natalie sits down with co-hosts Katie White and Tom Schimmer to reflect on highlights, insights, and next steps for the innovative event. Show Notes: ...
May 8, 2023
81 – Education, Physical Education w/ Alora Popow
This week on #Educrush, our guest Alora Popow shares the importance of both the Physical and Education portion of Physical Education. As a PE teacher herself, Alora shares her Philosophy of education, how classroom outcomes intertwine with outcomes in...
May 1, 2023
80 – The Discipline of Wellness (w Jonathan Erickson)
Wellness is so much more than a pizza party or a coffee cart; it’s deep, personal excavation and ruthless time management. Jonathan Erickson is currently the principal of Parras Middle School in Redondo Beach, California, and he joins Natalie to...
April 24, 2023
79 - Cross Curricular Conversations to Energize Your Time w/Alex Noel
This week we further explore what we started in Ep 72, where Natalie and Alex talked about what it means to “craft a public narrative” in education. Welcome to part of Alex’s public Narrative. “Cross Curricular Conversations to energize your...
April 17, 2023
78 – What is the future of education?
This season, we have explored many stories of education here in the present, but what is the future of education? Join Natalie to play within two future simulations that will stretch your capacity to discover creative opportunities, today. Empowerment...
April 10, 2023
77 - Restorative Education w/ Kelsey Brown
This week on #Educrush we dive into how our expectations of students change the stories that they get to tell about themselves. Kelsey Brown talks a bit about a restorative justice program run out of the Calgary Youth Justice society. Don’t forget...
April 3, 2023
76 – What if students rewrote the narrative of school? (w Breana Jacques & Shannon Finnegan)
Breana Jacques and Shannon Finnegan are two “engagement guides” at the Collaborative Lab School in Minneapolis with a fascinating mission: to empower students to reinvent school. What principles do students think school should follow? What do they...
March 13, 2023
75 - Project Based Story Telling (w/ Jill Engler)
Jill on Twitter: @engler_jill Alex on Twitter: Natalie on Twitter: Podcast on Twitter: Podcast on Instagram:
March 6, 2023
74 – Performing Gender Scripts in Schools (w Jason Ablin)
Throughout history, we have told the story of girls as precious eggs and boys as kept princes. However, as we begin to explore gender identity as a spectrum rather than a binary, it’s time to update this narrative and that begins with interrogating...
Feb. 27, 2023
73 - Facing Homeless (w/ David Conrad)
Dave Conrad is the Community Engagement Program Director at a Non-Profit organization called the Mustard Seed. They are an organization that specializes in providing aid to people around Canada who are facing homelessness. On this episode, Dave and...
Feb. 20, 2023
72 – Crafting a Public Narrative
A public narrative is a framework to help us craft a story that inspires others to take action. In this “coaching call” episode, Natalie walks Alex through the creation of his own public narrative for a cause he is passionate about. Follow...
Feb. 13, 2023
Bonus - Exploring Discrimination w/ Alex Noel
On this week’s episode, Alex explores his own thoughts and history around discrimination. Alex on Twitter: Natalie on Twitter: Podcast on Twitter: Podcast on Instagram: Links Mentioned:
Feb. 6, 2023
70 – The Inspiring History of Rebel Black Communities (w Dr. Crystal Menzies)
Stories are a powerful tool for liberation when we see ourselves in a character that demonstrates ingenuity and creativity on their quest for freedom. In particular, the stories of rebel Black communities can inspire our youth today when they are told...
Jan. 30, 2023
69 - Addressing Speech Barriers (w Alex Henderson)
On this week’s episode we discuss speech pathology and the profound impact that it can have on students’ education and their future. Alex Henderson shares her insights, expertise, and optimism! Alex on Twitter: Natalie on Twitter: Podcast on...
Jan. 23, 2023
BONUS – What is the Empowerment Ecosystem? (w Lynnette, Kyle, and Danelle)
Six months ago, Natalie quit her job to unleash her entrepreneurial spirit on a mission to reimagine education. Now, she’s back with an update about the Empowerment Ecosystem, an online program that provides the community, coaching, and tools for...
Jan. 16, 2023
67 - The Story of Neighbourhoods (w Srimal Ranasinghe)
On this episode of #Educrush, Alex talks to a Planner named Srimal Ranasinghe who believes whole heartedly that one of the keys to students thriving is looking at the spaces that we all spend time in. Listen while they discuss why it’s important and...
Jan. 9, 2023
66 – The Story of Street Data (w Shane Safir)
What if qualitative evidence were amplified to the same status as quantitative data in our education system? How might our schools transform if we tapped into the rich insights that come from story, anecdotes, experience, and emotion? Shane Safir,...